Amour Voles
by Wolfstar96
Summary: Sanji has been kidnapped by a mysterious devil-fruit user! Now the crew-But mostly Zoro-have to go save him! Better than it sounds! Rated T for kissing in later chapters and swearing.
1. Kidnapped! The Mysterious Man Appears!

This is my first One Piece fic so….yeah….. No flames please!! Oh, and the title Amour Voles means Love Stolen in French.

Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to the fabulous Eiichiro Oda!

Warning: This contains light yaoi boyxboy kissing in later chapters, so be warned! It also has swearing!

Now to the story!

* * *

It was a quiet day on the Going Merry, which was pretty odd considering the people who lived on the ship. There was usually the sound of boisterous laughter coming from the captain and the sounds accompanying that were a mix of shouts and merriment from the sharpshooter and the doctor. There was also supposed to be sounds of a fight between the cook and the swordsman and the clang of metal against boots. Then there would be the sound of punches landing on their heads via the navigator while the archaeologist looked on in amusement.

But not today. The mood on the ship (which was usually light and airy) had turned dark and somber. Today, the crew was missing a member. A very crucial member to their survival on the dangerous sea known as the Grand Line. They were missing the one who helped them stay alive not through medical treatment, but through nourishment. Yes, they were missing their cook, Sanji.

Just three hours ago, said cook had been taken from them by a mysterious devil-fruit user.

~~~**Flashback!**~~~

Sanji was tired. He had woken up at around three o'clock and couldn't fall back asleep. Giving up on falling back into the sweet bliss of sleep, he got up and walked to the place he would feel the most comfortable in.

As he passed the crow's nest, Usopp (who was on watch) went into 'Alert Mode' and looked out onto the deck to see who was there this time of morning. He relaxed as he saw the familiar outline of the lanky cook.

Confused, he called out, "Oi, Sanji, what're you doing this early in the morning?"

Sanji looked up at the sharpshooter and replied, "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I might as well plan out what today's meals are going to be."

Usopp nodded, "Okay. I, the brave Captain Usopp, will make sure that no evil befalls the ship while you are.... Hey, where're you going!?"

Sanji strolled away at this point and opened the door to his precious workplace, his kitchen. He sat down at the table with a piece of paper and a pencil as he carefully planned out what was for breakfast, lunch, Nami-swan's and Robin-chwan's snack, and dinner.

After he was done planning all of this out, two hours had passed. He knew the others would wake in an hour or so, so he relaxed for a bit. His thoughts eventually wandered to the green-haired swordsman. He had been having some strange feelings for the moss-head lately and he had figured out a day or two ago what these feelings were.

He…ugh he didn't want to admit it…he was in love with the shit-head. He couldn't believe it, he was as straight as a one-way road going down a straight path! _'Well,'_ he thought, _'that one-way road must have a curve somewhere…' _because every time he happened to even glance at Zoro he would get butterflies in his stomach and would have to turn away to hide the rising blush. There was no point in denying the obvious attraction he felt, so he accepted it. He would still cater to the whims of his lovely ladies of course, but the love he expressed for them wouldn't be as real as it had been.

Then Sanji contemplated _telling_ Zoro his feelings. What would it be like to express love to a person who was male? Would it be the same as expressing love to a female?

Sanji began to wonder, _'What if he doesn't like me back? What if he rejects me? I've felt heartbreak before, but it's usually with some random girl I see. This would be different. I have to see him _every _day_.'

Suddenly, the door to the galley opened to reveal the moss-head himself. _'Well, speak of the devil.'_ Sanji thought as he looked up at his nakama. "What're you doing, Marimo?" He asked.

"I came for my morning sake, shitty cook. You should know that by now." Zoro replied with his usual gruff tone. Indeed he should have known that, but there had been _other_ thoughts invading his mind.

Sanji sat at his place at the table in silence. Zoro walked over to the storage area and pulled out a bottle of sake. He was about to walk out the door when a small voice interrupted, "Zoro? Could you come here for a second?"

Thinking he should just walk away, Zoro went against his better judgment (and in shock about the ero-cook calling him Zoro) and sat down across from the blonde cook. Noticing how shy the other was acting and the redness in his cheeks, Zoro spoke up first, "What do you want?"

Sanji jumped at the swordsman's sudden, demanding words, "Uhh….if I were to tell you that……I….that I….-"

He never got to finish that sentence, for the cries of "Pirates, pirates everybody!" coming from the crow's nest grabbed their attention immediately. They dashed out to the deck as the others sleepily began to run out to see the cause of Ussop's distress signal.

Indeed there was a pirate ship headed towards them, the Straw Hat crew, not knowing if these other pirates were friendly, waited for the other ship to venture closer with their guard up. It was still dark out and it was hard to see very clearly so they could only vaguely point out the outlines of those on the other ship. When the ship got close enough Luffy called out, "Oi!! Are you guys gonna attack us?"

No answer was given. Luffy got into his battle stance. Everyone else got into their respective battle positions also. They waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Zoro, getting annoyed at the waiting (and having his…..interesting….conversation with Sanji cut short) turned to his captain with a look that clearly said 'Well? Should _we_ attack_ them_?'

Luffy saw his look and nodded, but their attack was never carried out because suddenly a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties seemed to materialize on the bow of the Going Merry where the lamb's head was. The Straw Hats turned sharply towards the intruder, each one getting more and more prepared for an early morning battle. The man was about 6 feet and 3 inches tall, wearing a gold button-up shirt that was tucked neatly into his black pants and nice dress shoes. He had straight black hair that stopped at about his jaw line and had deep green eyes that seemed to pierce through your soul.

He gazed over the crew ever silent. His eyes stopped when they reached the cook. There was a brief flash and suddenly this mysterious man was right behind Sanji! Sanji's eyes widened as he brought his leg up to kick the man but he was too fast for him. In one swift blow he hit Sanji on the head, effectively knocking him out. The blonde cook fell forward as the man grabbed him under his stomach and in another lightning-quick flash was back on his own ship.

The Strawhats, on the other hand, were completely baffled as to what in the Grand Line just happened. All they saw was the man appear behind Sanji, knock him out, and disappear again. After a minute or so, they all moved when Luffy shouted, "After that ship!"

~~~**Flashback End**~~~

Zoro suddenly stood up startling the others who had been thinking about Sanji also. Zoro looked at them and said, "Let's get him back."

_Damn idiot better be okay. I want to hear what he had to say. He was being awfully shy. Maybe he finally returns my feelings for him....

* * *

_

End of chapter one!!! Please review! Reviews are love! If I don't get reviews Sanji will never be rescued!!!


	2. A King Revealed and A New Friendship!

Woohoo!! Chapter 2!! Huzzah!!

Before this chapter starts I'd like to say thank you to Daschel, , Kirite, o0-mIchIk0-0o, XoX, and Reirukawa for the lovely reviews~~

I'd also like to say thank you to my friend DeathDeparture for reading this over before I posted it!

Now here it is!!

* * *

Sanji groggily opened his eyes. 'Ugh, where am I?' He thought. He couldn't see properly yet, everything was a bit of a colorful blur, but he could feel the rocking of a boat. It definitely wasn't the familiar rocking of the Going Merry; it was foreign push and pull motion.

His vision started to clear. Above, he could see the wooden roof that also acted as what was probably the floor of the main deck. He was lying on a surprisingly comfortable cot on the floor. The room he was in was made of wood (as most on a pirate ship are), and he was no carpenter, but this wood seemed different, more expensive somehow. The walls were plain and the only things in the room were himself and the cot he was laying on.

As if the world was going in slow motion, Sanji's memories returned. Waking up early, planning the meals, thinking about Zoro, _talking _with Zoro, and finally the pirate attack where he was so brutally abducted.

… Was that where he was? On that pirates' ship? How long had he been out? Why hadn't he been rescued yet? Did… did something happen to the others?

No, they were probably just late.

He tried sitting up. His head hit something. 'What…?' He thought. He put his hand on the seemingly clear surface that obstructed his ability to get up.

Glass. But not normal glass; when he tried to kick it, it didn't shatter as he had thought it would. Someone had heard his struggle, and the door opened to reveal the mysterious man that had captured him. The two had a fierce staring match, Sanji's visible blue eye glaring into the man's calm green eyes.

The man broke the match by speaking, "Hello, my name is Royalle. King Royalle of the island Goira."

Sanji was bewildered, "Wait, you're a king!? Why're you out here on this ship, kidnapping people like a pirate?"

"Because, child, I am also the captain of The King's Pirates. I discovered the little island of Goira, thus I am its king." Royalle explained.

"Mmm, I guess that's a good enough explanation… But that still doesn't explain why you kidnapped me. And why are you telling me all this anyway?" Sanji wondered.

"Hehe, that's a story for some other time, child."

The glass case he was in suddenly started to fill with gas. Sanji's eyelids drooped and as he was falling back into unconsciousness he heard Royalle chuckle and mutter some words that sounded something like, "This one is lucky to have someone like that swordsman. He will definitely be able to save this one."

* * *

Zoro was tired. He had been unable to sleep ever since the love-cook got taken. That was about… two days ago. He was on watch for either the ship that had his cook (wait, did he just say _his_ cook?) or an island that the ship might have docked at.

Chopper had pleaded that he get some sleep but Zoro, being his usual stubborn self, had refused. The lack of sleep was starting to get to him but he wasn't about to fall asleep without _someone_ on watch. He would have to ask someone who would be reliable enough to stay awake until he had gotten enough sleep.

Luffy was out immediately. He had been moping sadly without the cook around to give him meat and Zoro figured he would raid the fridge instead of actually watching the sea.

The witch was out, too. She would probably add more to his ever-growing debt if he asked her.

Chopper was too busy reading any supplies he might need if the shit-cook was hurt. A strange feeling arose in the pit of his stomach when he thought about the possibility of the ero-cook being hurt. He wondered briefly for a moment if this was what worry felt like.

Usopp was helping Chopper and trying to cheer up the crew. He would be of better use telling the reindeer his tales of 'The Great Captain Usopp' than sitting around, doing nothing.

That left the newest member of their crew, Robin. She seemed like the best choice. She was calm and could wait things out. Zoro then knew he was going to ask her.

He got up from his position in the crow's nest and made his way down to the deck. He went into the galley, where she would probably be reading some book. As predicted, she was. He noticed that she was reading a book about this area, looking for any clues that might lead them to the cook. He nonchalantly walked over to the table and sat down across from her.

"Is there something you want, Swordsman-san?" Her polite voice rang out after about two minutes of silence.

"Yeah… I'm kinda tired and needed someone to take watch for me and….. well… you just seemed like the best choice, I guess…" Zoro replied quite awkwardly.

"I'm honored, Swordsman-san. I'll go take watch now, then." She smiled and stood up.

"Uhhh… thanks…" Zoro mumbled.

"Anytime, Zoro."

* * *

Well, there's chapter 2! For some reason I love the fact that Royalle calls Sanji 'child' and 'this one.' I tried to make him sound refined, but in a gruff way, if that makes any sense…

And for those who might have noticed, I purposely used the line 'Zoro was tired' because I thought it would be neat to use the line I used for Sanji in the previous chapter.

And I LOL at the Zoro/Robin interaction. Please tell me if they were OOC.

But enough of my ramblings. Please review or the crew will never find Sanji!


	3. The Island of Goira and Three Trials!

Chapter 3! :DD

I would like to thank all of my reviewers for their wonderful high-inducing reviews! (No seriously, I swear I got high off of reviews, they make me feel happy and fuzzy…-_-;;) I would also like to thank DeathDeparture for once again checking this for errors.

Anyway… To the story!

* * *

'Oh! An island.' Robin thought, 'I was right. This book I've been reading says this island's name is Goira and it's ruled by the infamous Royalle of the King's Pirates. He has a bounty of 120,000,000 berries. His description also sounds like the man who took Cook-san. I should tell the others.'

She closed her book and stretch a little. Then she gracefully climbed down the crow's nest to the deck and headed to the girl's cabin to alert the red-haired navigator about the approaching island. She opened the door soundlessly and looked over at Nami.

'Too bad I have to wake her up. She's been so stressed without Cook-san around to dote on her,' Robin thought. With two or three silent strides she walked over and tapped Nami on the shoulder.

"Waah…?" Nami drawled out in her half-asleep state, "Robin…? Wa' is it?"

"Navigator-san, I saw an island and thought I should inform you of it." Robin stated.

"Oh….oh! An island? Really!" Nami almost shouted, "Let's wake up the others and tell them!"

Nami ran out to the deck in her pajamas and Robin strolled quietly behind her. Nami banged open the door to the men's cabin and yelled, "Guys, get up! There's an island!"

The men were slightly miffed about being woken up, but hurried out at the news of the island. Of all of them, Zoro appeared to be the one who was the most alert, eyes focused, getting out of his hammock quickly, and swiftly dashing to join the two women on the deck.

"So there's an island? Do you know any information about it?" Zoro asked.

"Yes we do. Its name is Goira and it is ruled by King Royalle, who, if my assumption is correct, is the one who took Cook-san." Robin said. Zoro stood up a little at the mention of the missing cook. It was pretty obvious that he was worried for the blond.

"Well, let's head towards the island, then!" Nami exclaimed.

* * *

"Yosh. We're here! Let's go look for Sanji! And then we can have food!" Luffy shouted.

"We need to make sure he's okay first!" Chopper's 'Doctor Mode' said.

Robin and Nami were talking quietly to themselves and Usopp was joining in on Luffy's and Chopper's conversation. The only silent one, it seemed, was Zoro. He stood with a determined look upon his face, his hands gripped tightly around the three swords attached to his waist.

"We should head into the forest to see if we can find the village," Robin suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement and followed the archaeologist into the forest.

The forest seemed to be devoid of animal life. Only if you listened really closely could you hear the faint rustling of _something_ off in the distance. There were plenty of trees and vines, though, that cleared to form some sort of path that the Strawhats followed. After an hour of going down a path that lead to nowhere Luffy managed to spot something over the trees.

"Hey look! A castle! I wonder if it has food…. I'm really hungry…" The rubber-man whined, then remembering their objective added, "And maybe someone there knows where Sanji is!"

Luffy bolted towards the castle, the others following behind at a slightly slower pace. The captain stopped at the base of the steps to admire the building.

It was an impressive castle. The shine of the gray stones gave a regal appearance. It went up about ten stories high and looked to have a basement underground. If one were to guess, they would say there are about 45-50 steps leading to the front door. The front door had a completely gold sheen to it with intricate patterns weaving greenish-gold vines down its ten-foot length. The windows that were placed about in a seemingly random fashion were framed with some sort of black stone (obsidian, maybe?) with emeralds placed at the corners. There were various watch towers with one to two guards placed at each. The guards were all eyeing the Strawhats carefully, but weren't taking any action to stop them. Their Lord had specifically told them that these people should be allowed to enter their castle.

"This is soooo cool!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper rang out in unison with stars in their eyes and sparkles surrounding their forms. Robin smiled slightly while Zoro and Nami rolled their eyes at the display.

They started up the steps. About halfway up Usopp's I-can't-walk-another-step-or-I'll-die Disease started acting up so Luffy grabbed him and the others and stretched his arms to the top of the steps while shouting, "Gomu Gomu No Rocket!" Everyone was flung up to an area that acted as a small porch. The door was even more magnificent up front (Nami's eyes turned to berry signs when she saw that the door was indeed made of gold). Zoro, becoming more impatient by the second, took a hold of the elegant door-knocker and rapped loudly against the door.

A minute or two later the door creaked open, "Yes? Who is there?" A short man with brown hair, a small beard, and dark brown eyes was standing just inside the doorway.

"Hi! We're the Strawhats Pirates and we wanna talk see if your ruler knows where our cook is and if you guys have any food!" Luffy exclaimed while everyone else (except Robin) sweat dropped.

"Oh! You're the Strawhat Pirates! Please come in! Don't be shy, come on!" The short man insisted, "I'm Ingall, by the way, I have to take you straight to the king, yes I do! He told me to!" Ingall practically shoved everyone inside.

Upon entering, they immediately noticed a humongous chandelier fastened to the ceiling. It had three circles going from small at the top to medium to large at the bottom. It seemed to be made of hundreds of marble-sized beads that had a yellow-gold glow that shined as the candles behind them lit up the room. The walls, ceiling, everything in the room also had a goldish glow even though none of it was made of the substance. They were led through the castle by Ingall (who was now rambling about how great his leader was) and into a maze of hallways. To the Strawhats surprise, Ingall easily navigated the various twists and turns while still rambling on and on.

Eventually they stopped at a rather large door and Ingall opened it saying, "This is the throne room. The master has been waiting for you."

_He has? _Thought Zoro._ That's awfully suspicious…_ He and the others walked into the room. At the end of a velvet red carpet, sitting on a luxurious throne, was a man with piercing green eyes. The same green he had seen aboard the Going Merry. The same green that had stolen his most precious person. His eyes narrowed into a fierce glare as he stared at the man sitting nonchalantly at his throne. After an intense one-sided staring match that lasted for about 30 seconds Zoro looked at his crewmates to see if they recognized the man, too. They did. Everyone (even Luffy) had a frown on their face as they too looked at the man.

The man suddenly stood up and, with a small smile, greeted, "Hello, my name is King Royalle. Welcome to my little island. What brings you here?"

"Hi, we're looking for our-mmph!" Nami clamped her hand over her captain's mouth and whispered just loud enough for everyone except Royalle to hear, "We should pretend we're just looking for food, that way we can get information from him so we can find where he's hidden Sanji." Everyone gave a small nod to show their agreement.

"Is something the matter?" Royalle chimed in.

"Uh, nope, nothing! My captain was going to say that we're looking for food, since we're running low and we're really hungry!" Nami explained in a rush.

"Oh. If that is the case, then my cooks can make you a feast. Come, follow me and I will show you the way to the dining hall." Royalle walked towards the Strawhats with his hands in his pants pockets. He strolled lightly past them, hardly making any sound, as if he were gliding across the air. He reached the door and asked, "Are you coming? Or are you not a hungry as you say you are?"

Luffy bounced toward him, his mind set to 'MEEEEEAAAAAATTTTTT Mode.' Zoro followed the rubber man, and the rest quickly followed suit. Once again, they were astounded as Royalle navigated the hallways as easily as Ingall had. They stopped at another large door and Royalle opened it. It was an impressive dining hall _(Sanji would be drooling over the sight, _the crew thought) complete with a long table that had plates, utensils, and napkins just itching to be used.

"Go ahead, sit. I shall inform the cooks that we have guests that need to be fed." Royalle said and walked to the kitchen.

Even seated, the crew was silent. It didn't feel right to have a normal conversation without a certain love-cook around spouting things about the ladies and fighting with the one he so affectionately named 'moss-head.' Another thing that kept them silent was the thought that they were not going to be eating Sanji's cooking. Anyone else's food tasted bland from accustoming their taste buds to the fabulous cuisine of their chef.

While they were mulling over their thoughts, Royalle slipped in and took his place at the head of the table. Within twenty minutes plates upon plates of food were being brought in, alerting everyone of the fact that they were indeed hungry. None of them could cook as well as Sanji and had been having semi-good meals. As soon as the last of the plates had been set down, they tore into the food.

"So Mister, are you a pirate? You kinda act like one." Luffy asked.

"Why yes, I am. And I already told you, my name is Royalle." Royalle politely answered.

"So what's your crew like?" Luffy inquired.

Royalle visibly softened, "My crew? Ah, they are all such wonderful people. Only a few are here with me right now, though."

"Why?"

"They are out exploring new islands."

"Why?"

"Because they want too. Unlike most pirate captains these days I don't treat my crewmates like underlings or servants. They have free will to do as they please."

At this Luffy brightened, "You seem like a pretty cool guy."

"Haha, do I?" Royalle laughed.

Zoro was getting annoyed as his captain bonded with the enemy. Weren't they here for Sanji? While they were stuffing their faces his precious cook could be starving or hurt or being tortured or- wait, did he just say _his_ cook again? Damn. He was letting his emotions get the best of him. Just breathe. In. Out. In-

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy shouted in laughter.

_That's it._ Zoro thought, getting angrier and more worried by the second. He stood up and yelled, "Alright Royalle, enough of the chit-chat. Where's our goddamn cook!"

Everyone was shocked into silence. Except Royalle. He merely stood up and said, "I was wondering when you were going to ask. Most pirate crews that come to me always get straight to the point. You want your cook back? Fine. But first you must-"

"What, do we have to defeat you? I could do that with one sword and a leg chopped off." Zoro taunted.

"Listen when people speak, child. To get him back you must pass a test."

"A test? What kind of test?" Usopp asked.

"A kind that has three parts to it. Successfully complete all three and he will be returned to you." Royalle stated.

"Well tell us about it!" Zoro snapped.

"Learn some patience, boy. Do not worry, the blonde one is safe. Before I let the first challenge begin, I must explain the rules.

1. You must complete all three challenges

2. No cheating

3. You are not allowed to attack me or anyone that is not involved in this

Disobey any of these rules and the chef will be terminated." Royalle explained.

Everyone now had strangely solemn faces. In their eyes was blatant determination. Even Luffy, who had been happily conversing only a few moments ago was stern.

"Alright, what's the first part?" Luffy asked.

"Among every room in this castle, only one contains the cook. The first task is to find this room."

"Find a room? That's it? At least give us a hint." Nami said.

"I was intending to, my dear. Your clue is 'To find the one you seek, look above the chef's heart'. Oh, and you only have an hour."

"Yosh, let's go!" Luffy shouted and ran out, followed by the others.

Royalle chuckled as they left, "Haha, good luck, Roronoa Zoro."

* * *

Woo, this chapter is loooooong! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry it took so long! And by the way, Ingall annoys me so much...Do any characters you guys make annoy you? Oh, and before I forget-

Pronunciations!  
Royalle- Like royale, except it looks cooler.  
Goira- Goy-rah I made this up, I thought it looked neat... -_-;  
Ingall- Een-gall Again, I made this up.

So please review and tell me what you think! Or they don't get to Sanji within the hour!


	4. Calling Out From The Darkness

Woo! Chapter 4~ I suddenly got inspiration and had to write (err- type) it down! Ahh, anyway, enjoy~!

* * *

It was dark. Terribly, horribly dark. It was a suffocating, choking, kind of darkness that made Sanji panic. Where was he? Where were his friends? Where was Zoro?

Sanji stood up (or had he been standing already? He couldn't tell…). He turned, looking this way and that but still only seeing nothing but the pitch black that assaulted his vision. Absolute dread stirred in him and he felt his legs start walking him forward of their own accord.

Eventually the void gave way to a more grayish tone and finally to a blinding white. Screens lit up before him and started playing... his memories? They seemed to be so, but… they were all about Zoro. When they had first met in the Baratie, when the other had first fought Mihawk (and lost, might he add), meeting up again in Cocoyashi village, and everything after. Every one of their skirmishes on the boat, every time they had insulted each other, every time they had fought at one another's side.

Sanji's eyes widened. He hadn't realized how many times he and the swordsman had interacted. He wanted to see him. He wanted to be near him. He wanted to be rid of this horrid place of never-ending memories. He slowly sat down and stared as the screens kept playing over and over. Then he murmured to myself as he curled his legs to his chest and buried his face into his arms.

"_Zoro…"_

* * *

"_Zoro…" _

Said man's eyes widened. Was that Sanji's voice? Where had it come from? He shook it off, thinking it to be a trick.

The crew had split up, thinking they would cover more ground this way. None of them (except possibly the girls) had thought much of the clue and had opted for running around opening doors until they found their cook.

'I mean really, look above the chef's heart? What the hell is that supposed to mean?' Zoro thought. He ran as fast as could, tearing open door after door in search of the blonde he had fallen for.

He opened yet another door to yet another dead end when cigarette smoke attacked his senses. He turned around to see… Sanji? No, Sanji wasn't there… was he? He looked around and a booming voice called out, "20 minutes left, Strawhats."

'Dammit!' He thought as he started to sprint off again. He stopped abruptly when he saw a shadowy figure appear before him. Now, was it just him or did the shadow look suspiciously like a certain love-cook? Smoke once more wafted towards him, almost beckoning him forward. He slowly started walking to the mysterious figure. When he was about five feet away, the form bolted to the far end of the hallway. Was this… whatever it was… leading him somewhere? He decided to follow his instincts and pursued the shadow barely noticing the voice that rang out, "5 minutes left."

After what felt like going in multiple circles the body faded away in front of a door and Zoro heard faint laughter and he could swear he could see a smirk among its inky blackness.

He reached out for the handle and barely touched it before Royalle's voice sounded, "Haha, well congratulations. The swordsman has found the room. All of you will now be directed to the room so the second trial may start. Oh, and Roronoa, if you open the door before the challenge starts I cannot guarantee yours or the blonde's safety."

Well damn.

Zoro stood outside the door and waited for about ten minutes before his rubbery captain and everyone else arrived.

"How did you manage to find the room?" Nami asked.

"Oh, you know, ran around, opened doors…"_ 'followed a mysterious shadow thing…'_

"Ah, well at least we found it before time was up!" Luffy chimed in.

"I wonder what the next task is," Chopper muttered.

No sooner had he said it, when Royalle and two burly men appeared in the hallway. Everyone turned to face the three as they approached. "Did you figure out the clue at all?"

Robin's voice permeated the silence, "We are below the kitchen, are we not?"

"Correct. Although I do not believe any of you besides her solved the hint. Well at any rate, this is your next task. You must choose two individuals to fight these two men behind me. Choose wisely." Royalle stated.

The StrawHats all gathered around each other in a circle. "Okay, so who should we choose?" Nami asked.

"I think Luffy and I should go. We're the strongest, after all." Zoro pointed out.

"But Swordsman-san, he said 'choose wisely.' That makes me think that something is more than what it appears to be." Robin said smartly.

"Hm, true, but what if nothing's going on? Then shouldn't we leave this to Luffy and Zoro?" Usopp put in his two cents.

"Usopp has a point, Nami and Robin. He might just be playing tricks on us." Chopper piped up.

"Haaa… Fine… I'm sure that even if something _does_ happen, those two can take care of it…" Nami resigned. "Alright! We've chosen StrawHat Luffy and Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro."

"Good choice. There was actually nothing wrong. I was testing you." Royalle said with a smile.

Nami and Usopp twitched in blatant annoyance.

Royalle stepped forward.

"So…. Shall we begin?"

* * *

WOOOOOOO! I FINALLY DID IT! CLIFFHANGER! Aw man, there's a fight scene coming up… I'm not sure if I can write fight scenes! Oh well, I'll try… And sorry this chapter is so short…

As always, please review so I may better my story!


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